1 M y life has forever changed because of the Distinguished Young Women program. Before last fall, I had never even heard of this program. I was like many high school seniors, stressed due to it being college application season and desperately scouring the internet for scholarships, when I first learned about DYW. Though DYW was still something unknown to me, I decided to apply for and compete in Iowa’s program. For the 2022 DYW Iowa program, things looked a bit different. I did not have an in-person competition, everything was virtual. All of my videos had to be sent in, the interview and self-expression questions were asked through a Zoom meeting, and I never got to meet any of the other 2022 candidates. However, my experience is one I could never imagine changing. This year’s program will also be held virtually, but I hope each and every one of the candidates are able to treasure it as I did. Going into Nationals was another thing, in and of itself. The previous year’s Nationals was held virtually, and I had no idea of what was to come. I remember boarding my flight from Omaha at around five in the morning, worrying about what was going to happen. However, once I was able to finally meet the forty-nine other state representatives, my worries melted away. The same incredible young women I had interacted with through Zooms and Instagram groupchats were suddenly surrounding me. I had never felt a stronger feeling of belonging. These same forty-nine women became some of my best friends and my biggest support system during my two weeks in Mobile, Alabama. I strongly believe that my DYW experience was so great because of them. It was amazing to be able to meet so many talented, smart, kind-hearted people and to share so many experiences with them such as exploring the city of Mobile, the hours of rehearsal and practice, and even just simply chatting about the things that happened in a day. Though this year’s Nationals also got disrupted due to COVID, it persevered, and so did we. I do not think I have all of the words to describe how grateful I am for the Distinguished Young Women program or to thank all the people I met through it. These feelings are too great to be simplified. I would like to wish the 2023 candidates all the best in their DYW journey and want them to know that I am so proud of each and every one of them, they are all going to do great things in this program and in the future. To the next Distinguished Young Woman of Iowa, I already cannot wait to be your Has-Been and celebrate with you. To the Distinguished Young Women Iowa program, thank you for supporting me throughout this past year, I would not be where I am today without you. AMY NGUYEN 2022 Distinguished Young Woman of Iowa Stanford ‘26 LETTER FROM AMY Distinguished Young Woman of Iowa 2023 2 Welcome to the 2023 Distinguished Young Women of Iow a scholarship program! This program recognizes and rewards high school senior girls for their achievements and excellence. We strive to give young women the opportunity to further their education and prepare for a successful future. The 5 incredible young women participating this year, all exemplify the core of this program; Scholarship, Leadership and Talent Last year Amy Nguyen was named the Distinguished Young Woman of Iowa 2022. Amy wonderfully represented Iowa at the national finals. Amy is a graduate of Sioux City West High School. She is current;y a freshman at Stanford University. As we continue to battle the pandemic, and for the health and safety of our participants and volunteers, it was decided to hold this year’s state program virtually as well. No matter the format, it takes many people to make this program a success and this year was no exception. I want to thank all our committee members, our national support team and volunteers for their hard work and flexibility in making this a successful program. We are very grateful for the many sponsors and donors who make the program possible and provide scholarship dollars for the Distinguished Young Women from around our state. A special thank you to our Corporate sponsor DotDashMeredith for their category sponsorship. To this year’s participants, thank you for choosing to be a part of this scholarship program, which puts emphasis on education and makes a difference in the lives of young women. To the participant selected as Distinguished Young Woman of Iowa 2023, congratulations and best of luck in the exciting adventure ahead of you. Please enjoy tonight’s virtual showcase with the Distinguished Young Women of Iowa Class of 2023! Be Distinguished! CHRISTI STRELECKI 2023 State Chair LETTER FROM THE CHAIRPERSON Distinguished Young Woman of Iowa 2023 COMMITTEES & VOLUNTEERS CHRISTI STRELECKI - State Chair MARK BURNETTE - Judge’s Chair CALLIE TEUBERT - Showcase Emcee / Life Skills Coach MADISON WEISER - Life Skills Coach MATT STRELECKI - Program Book A special thank you to MARK BURNETTE and LISA LAWLEY BURNETTE for producing our virtual showcase . 3 Steve Grice is a CPA and holds a B.S. in accounting from Troy University as well as a Masters and a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Alabama. He currently serves as a scholar-in-residence for the Troy University School of Accountancy and for the accounting firm of Carr, Riggs, & Ingram. Dr. Grice previously served as the Director of Troy University’s School of Accountancy and the Director of the Master of Accounting program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Alabama Society of CPAs honored Dr. Grice with the Lifetime Member Award in 2022. In 2021, he was selected as the Sunbelt Conference Faculty of the year as well as the Troy University Faculty of the Year by the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. Dr. Grice was the 2018/2019 Outstanding Accounting Educator awarded by the Alabama Society of CPAs. In 2016 and 2019, he was a gubernatorial appointment to serve on the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy has served on several national committees including the Board of Examiners which provides oversight for the American Institute of CPA’s examination team. He has over fifty publications in practitioner and academic accounting journals. Dr. Grice is married to Angie Grice who was West Virginia’s Junior Miss in 1988. They have been married for thirty years and have four children and two grandchildren. Being married to a former junior miss, he’s been closely acquainted with DYW programs in various counties and has served as a tabulator. Most recently, Dr. Grice served as a judge for the Dogwood Trail Pageant in Fairhope, Alabama and the Colorado State DYW program. Angela Perry Grice was West Virginia’s Junior Miss in 1988 and a preliminary fitness winner at the America’s Junior Miss Program in Mobile. She is an accomplished dancer in many types of dance and her studies emphasized her love of classical ballet. She received summer scholarships to study with the Cleveland Ballet and the New York Craft of Choreography Conference. She has extensive training in both piano and gymnastics. Angie is a magna cum laude graduate of Troy University with a Bachelors degree in Biology and Sociology Education. She also received a Masters degree in Biology from the University of Alabama. Angie has been very active in community programs, including the Troy Junior Women’s League, Sav-a-Life of Pike County, and the Troy Charity League. Angie is an active member at Park Memorial United Methodist Church where she teaches an adult Sunday school class with her husband and serves on the preschool board of directors. She has enjoyed teaching Biology labs for Troy University and life sciences at Pike Liberal Arts School, where she also served as the Assistant Headmaster. Angie is a former Director of the Pike County Junior Miss Program and board member of Jefferson County’s Distinguished Young Woman program. She has judged numerous local DYW Programs in Alabama, and the state Junior Miss programs in Mississippi and West Virginia. Angie is a former member of the America’s Junior Miss Council. She and her husband Dr. Steve Grice raised four children and are enjoying being new grandparents. Mary Jo Overton is formerly from Wisconsin where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Health Information from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and a Masters in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch. For the past 26 years she has called Iowa home. Here she developed her home-based transcription and consulting business that she ran for almost 15 years. Currently, she is employed in training and quality improvement for a nationally-based transcription service. Mary Jo and her husband have 5 children, ages 24 thru 39 and 3 adorable grandchildren. Throughout the years, Mary Jo has been active with her children’s schools helping out in the classroom, coaching volleyball, and serving as a leader for their Girl Scout troops. Mary Jo has always encouraged her children to follow their passions of dance, baton, 2023 JUDGES Distinguished Young Woman of Iowa 2023 4 2023 ACADEMIC JUDGE This year’s Academic Judge, Emily (Lloyd) Herman , was Bartow County’s Junior Miss 2006 and second runner-up at Georgia’s Junior Miss. She graduated from Oklahoma City University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance, and was a scholarship rower on the Women’s Varsity Crew Team, earning several NCAA medals. She has performed in various venues across the Eastern United States as a contracted vocalist. Emily has been a volunteer with the Distinguished Young Women program for several years as the Florida Production Chair, Central Florida At-Large Chair, Dallas at-Large Judges’ Chair, and is currently the Texas Production Chair. Emily spent 12 years as a Walt Disney World Cast Member where she was a production stage manager before she and her husband moved to Texas to pursue a new chapter in early 2020! She obtained her Master’s Degree in Corporate Communication in 2014 from Austin Peay State University, and was named Oklahoma City University’s 30 Under 30 for 2017. Most notably, Emily was selected as a Walt Disney Legacy Award Recipient in 2019. She is currently a professor of speech and communication at Collin College and a lecturer of business communication at the University of Texas at Dallas. cheer, and soccer for which they participated in through high school and college. As a judge for the Distinguished Young Women of Iowa program, she encourages all participants to follow their passion and to become the best version of themselves. Best of luck to all; have fun and enjoy the process! Fascia Barclay is a 23 year old alumni of the University of South AL, who currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Miss Barclay is originally from Ewing, New Jersey and in 2017 moved to Mobile to attend South Alabama thanks to scholarships awarded through her participation in Distinguished Young Women. Fascia is very familiar with the workings of the DYW program. She served as the state representative of New Jersey for 2017 at the national program. She has judged both local and state DYW programs in the past. Fascia graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science of Nursing and completed her practicum in the Emergency Room at the level one trauma center, University Hospital. She is currently a critical care travel nurse and working at Piedmont Atlanta on their cardiothoracic stepdown unit. She gets to practice a vast amount of skills and implement critical thinking to help save lives daily. Fascia had the opportunity to work as a frontline worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is grateful to have chosen such a fulfilling career. Miss Barclay plans to further her studies and return to school next fall to pursue her Master’s degree. Apart from her love for nursing, Fascia is very passionate about the performing arts. She has a background in vocal studies, theater and is trained to play both piano and violin. Some of her past performance roles include Kelsie from “High School Musical” and Crystal from “Little Shop of Horrors”. Miss Barclay credits the DYW program for shaping her into the young woman she is today. She is so honored to have the opportunity to judge tonight and cannot wait to meet all of the ladies. Shelby Burnette is an alumni from the DYW Class of 2016 where she was the Houston County GA local representative and 2nd Runner Up in the Georgia state program. Shelby has been an active DYW volunteer at the local, state, and national level and judged several state programs. Shelby graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of South Carolina in 2020 with a degree in Sports Management and earned her masters in Marketing in 2021 from Vanderbilt’s Owens School of Business. She currently resides in Winston Salem NC with her two cats Deebo and Samuel and works for Wake Forest University Athletic Department as the Director of Digital Marketing. 5 ACHIEVEMENT FUND SUPPORTERS IN-KIND GIFTS: HAS BEEN FUNDS The primary purpose of the Distinguished Young Women of lowa program is to recognize and reward Iowa’s outstanding high school senior girls for their merit and excellence. The Achievement Fund was established to increase the scholarship awards to Distinguished Young Women of lowa contestants. The scholarship awards would not be possible without the generous contributions of our donors and sponsors. These companies and individuals are committed to the program and their dedication and generosity is deeply appreciated. Please join the Distinguished Young Women of lowa Board in supporting and extending thanks to the following, for their generous contributions to the Achievement Fund. In addition, many businesses have donated their goods and services to help offset the costs of the program so that all funds raised can be directed to scholarships. We thank them for their support! A special thanks to the following Has Beens and their families who have contributed to the Distinguished Young Women of Iowa scholarship fund! Thank you for your continued support of the program! PLATINUM SUPPORTER Anonymous PLATINUM SUPPORTER State Committee Anonymous SILVER SUPPORTER Strelecki Family Dotdash Meredith Achiever Level Geri McGonegle Diana Reed Sustainer Level Kelsey Lyons Courtney Petty Support Level Alessa Strelecki Miranda Streleck Swing Design Co. 6 LEFT TO RIGHT, CLOCKWISE: Katelyn having fun at our LuLu’s Beach Party; participating in the Fitness category; on stage during the 65th National Finals; dancing to “This Woman’s Work” for her talent; with her fellow participants; accepting her scholarship. Arizona’s Katelyn Cai was named the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2022, during the 65th Annual National Finals. Katelyn is a graduate of BASIS Scottsdale. Her academic honors include being named a 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholar, National AP Scholar, Robertson Scholar, Bank of America Student Leader, and one of Arizona’s 18 under 18. Outside of the classroom, Katelyn is passionate about education and equality. The project she devotes most of her time to is a nonprofit she founded, “Invest in Her.” The idea was sparked from watching her mother fight for her own right to an education, inspiring Katelyn to provide equitable opportunities for women to be successful. Katelyn enjoys pouring her whole heart into everything she does. Aside from her nonprofit, Katelyn is also extremely passionate about speech and debate. She was ranked Number 2 in the country for extemporaneous speaking. In the fall, Katelyn will attend Duke University on a full-ride scholarship as a Robertson Scholar. She will be majoring in Public Policy and Economics with goals to attend law school in the future and pursue a career in legislature. After completing high school with a graduating class of only 77 students, Katelyn says she’s excited to meet lots of new people and experience life in a new environment! Winning $46,000 in cash scholarships and a gold medallion at the national program, Katelyn will represent the Class of 2022 as the Distinguished Young Woman of America during this year. FUN FACTS • Katelyn is a first-generation Chinese-American. Her parents both immigrated from China and now live in Scottsdale, Arizona where they raised Katelyn and her younger brother. • At only the age of 18, she has already worked for every level of government in some way and is currently an intern at both her senator’s office and city office. • Katelyn has been dancing since the age of eight. • Her guilty pleasure is watching cheesy movies on Netflix, more specifically watching “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” on repeat. • She’s a dog person - Katelyn got a “pandemic puppy” in 2020 named Stella and has trained her in two languages! • Katelyn’s favorite plans are no plans! She loves getting a call from a friend who’s up for a spontaneous activity. • When asked who inspires her, she immediately replied, “My mom... if I can be half the woman she is when I am older I will have done a good job.” DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMAN OF AMERICA FOR 2022 Katelyn Cai 7 National Sponsors Distinguished Young Women is grateful to all of our national sponsors who make each year’s program possible through their generous contributions toward scholarships and the ongoing operation of the nationwide program. 8 States Club, Spirit Club & Event Sponsors SPIRIT CLUB The businesses and individuals in the Spirit Club sponsor a state’s representative during National Finals. Members of this group have generously contributed $2,500 and we appreciate their support. Ascension Jessica and Bill Barrick Hargrove Engineers + Constructors Kendra and Michael Haskins McKinney Petroleum Equipment STATES CLUB The businesses and individuals in the States Club sponsor a representative during Finals. The members of this elite group have graciously contributed $5,000 each. We appreciate their financial support and their dedication to the success of this program. Austal Valerie Boltz Austin AJM Foundation Board The Better Skin Co. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama Captain Teresa Elders Foundation Lori Jo and Paul Carbonneau Pam and Cisco Codina Delaney Development Distinguished Young Women Past Presidents Evonik Corporation Jim and Dee Gambill Joy and Jimmy Grodnick The Hearin-Chandler Foundation The Howard Wealth Management Group of Stifel Phil and Elizabeth Kaiser Mister “P” Express Arlene Mitchell Pam and Eric Patterson Jim and Carol Rubino Judith Skelton Mr. and Mrs. Norvelle Smith EVENT SPONSORS These businesses supported our workshops that created a rich learning expereince for our 50 state representatives. AFTER FINALS PARTY Mobile County DESTINY'S BEACH PARTY Premier Medical FITNESS WORKSHOP Jazzercise INTERVIEW WORKSHOP The Adecco Group STATE SPECIALITIES PARTY Mobile County VIRTUAL WOMEN’S FORUM National Panhellenic Conference IN-PERSON WOMEN’S FORUM University of Mobile SPECIAL RECOGNITION Rep. Victor Gaston presented a special gift in honor of Joy Grodnick, Pam Patterson and Kathy Latta (pictured left to right) in recognition of their years of dedication and service to Distinguished Young Women. First introduced to the program by his mother-in- law Mary Jumonville, who was a volunteer with the program in its early years, Rep. Gaston has been a supporter of the program and it’s mission ever since. 9 Distinguished Young Women was founded in 1958 by the Mobile (AL) Jaycees as an outgrowth of its popular Azalea Trail Maid program. Originally called America’s Junior Miss, Distinguished Young Women was created as a way to meet the need for higher education scholarships for young women. While continuing to address the need for scholarships, Distinguished Young Women also saw an opportunity to help prepare young women for success in life after high school. Many skills that help individuals be successful—how to conduct a business interview, believing that your opinions are worthy of recognition and how to speak with confidence and effectively convey your thoughts—are not taught in school. Our Life Skills Workshops begin this education. Plus, to ensure the greatest impact possible, participation in our program is always free, allowing young women of all backgrounds to be able to reap the benefits of participation. Distinguished Young Women is proud to be the oldest and largest scholarship program in the nation for college-bound high school senior girls. Since 1958, the program has awarded more than $118 million in cash scholarships at local, state, and national programs. In addition to cash scholarships, Distinguished Young Women participants are eligible for college-granted scholarships from over 100 colleges and universities across the country. Over $1 billion in college scholarship opportunities were provided to the Class of 2022, some of which included full tuition plus room and board. Many participants leave the program with scholarships, but all walk away from the experience with life skills to help them interview for jobs, develop healthy relationships and have increased confidence. Throughout the years, Distinguished Young Women has continued to attract the nation’s best and brightest. More than 780,000 young women have participated in the program at the local, state and national levels. Journalist and anchor Diane Sawyer (1963), Journalist Deborah Norville (1975), Will & Grace actress Debra Messing (1986), CNN anchor Robin Meade (1987) and violinist and best-selling author Lindsey Stirling (2005) are a few of the program’s celebrity faces. Distinguished Young Women is proud to have helped these women on their road to success and is equally proud of the thousands of other past participants who have achieved success through a vast number of careers, such as Dr. Linda Rutledge Delbridge (1973), vice-president at IBM; Marlo Graves (1990), Shuttle Integration Group Engineer for Boeing; pediatrician Dr. Susan Davidson (1998); and Sruthi Palaniappan (2016), the youngest delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention and former student body President at Harvard College. Distinguished Young Women continues because of the hard work and dedication of more than 10,000 volunteers throughout the nation. These individuals devote countless hours to planning, funding and executing local, state and national programs. A board of directors including civic, business and professional leaders governs the national nonprofit corporation. These volunteers are committed to providing opportunities to young women who have achieved excellence in their high school careers. Thanks to dedicated volunteers and support from the Mobile community, Distinguished Young Women continues to impact the lives of thousands of young women across the country. LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. Phyllis Whitenack (WV) was the first national representative in 1958. 2. The Class of 1963 takes part in the Youth Fitness. In the center is Diane Sawyer, Kentucky and America’s Junior Miss for that year. 3. The Tonight Show’s Ed McMahon served as host of the program in 1980. 4. Kim Smith (NC) was the first America’s Junior Miss to receive a medallion instead of a crown in 1981. 5. Tyrenda Williams, America’s Junior Miss for 1997, spreads the message of the Be Your Best Self. 6. The Class of 2001 Has Beens perform. 7. Madison Leonard of Idaho was named the first Distinguished Young Women of America in 2010. 8. A participant in the local Charleston County (SC) program takes part in a Life Skills Workshop in 2015. Program History 1958-2022 10 Help us continue to share the message and impact of Distinguished Young Women by getting involved with local programs in your area, OR start a program in your area using our flexible format options! In order to increase our impact, we need new grassroots programs reaching into communities. These programs feed into our state programs to help them grow! Flexible format local programs were created with the intention that anyone can start a program - regardless of time, location or resources. Here are some of the perks of our flexible format: YOU CAN DO IT! • Minimal time commitment - only a few hours • Flexible - you set the schedule • Host your local program partially OR fully digital • DYW provides the Scholastics Judge, Program Judge contacts, Fitness routine, Life Skills Workshop videos and College-Granted Scholarships • No venue needed • Low to ZERO cost Are YOU able to volunteer even a few hours of your time and start impacting young women? Contact our National Field Director, Lisa Lawley Burnette, at Lisa@DistinguishedYW.org for a more in-depth description of our program options or to get connected with a program in your area. Get Involved! Distinguished Alumnae Distinguished Alumnae is a sisterhood of more than 780,000 women who have participated in Distinguished Young Women or Junior Miss programs at any level—local, state or national— since the program’s origin. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK In 2019, the Distinguished Network launched providing an online space for alumnae of all ages to network and connect. Join the private Facebook page by searching “The Distinguished Network.” JOIN US IN PERSON Past participants stay connected through newsletters and updates, alumnae reunions and clubs, volunteering and social media. We currently have Alumnae Clubs in Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, Mobile, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Alumnae can receive information about getting connected by emailing Norma@DistinguishedYW.org 11 ALABAMA Julianne Abenoja HAWAII Ellie Ochiai MASSACHUSETTS Isabel Xue NEW MEXICO Salma Barragan SOUTH DAKOTA Mackenzie Brady ARIZONA Katelyn Cai ILLINOIS Rosie Wang MINNESOTA Keerthana Ramanathan NORTH CAROLINA Asa Thurnau TEXAS Ankita Talukdar ALASKA Lauren Olson IDAHO Kenadee Kuhn MICHIGAN Sharanya Swaminathan NEW YORK Mary Cotter TENNESSEE Amy Pham ARKANSAS Maria Spearn INDIANA Elizabeth Taylor MISSISSIPPI Christina Danford NORTH DAKOTA Amy Hong UTAH Isabel Hallows CALIFORNIA Emily Lee IOWA Amy Nguyen MISSOURI Elizabeth Moots OHIO Cassandra Mayers VERMONT Jenelle Hardy Distinguished Young Women 12 COLORADO Madison Manning KANSAS Lydia Poe MONTANA Kaitlyn Ruch OKLAHOMA Jenna Scott VIRGINIA Jadyn Talley DELAWARE Mikayla Dayton LOUISIANA Anna Claire Bridges NEVADA Rachel McDonald PENNSYLVANIA Avia Weber WEST VIRGINIA Rebecca Pruett CONNECTICUT Condoleezza Coleman KENTUCKY McKenna Sun NEBRASKA Erin Schuette OREGON Zora Richardson WASHINGTON Esther Roeber FLORIDA London Taylor MAINE Grace Kelso NEW HAMPSHIRE Kate Chevaire RHODE ISLAND Mya Schiavone WISCONSIN Cynthia Lu GEORGIA Mya Moffitt MARYLAND Genevieve Batman NEW JERSEY Cady Wang SOUTH CAROLINA Mary Compton WYOMING Whitnee Hale Class of 2022 13 Class of 2022 Awards The Class of 2022 shared in $153,000 in cash scholarships at the national level and more than $1 BILLION in college-granted scholarships available to them by taking part in the DYW experience. SATELLITE AWARDS CATEGORY AWARDS DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMAN OF AMERICA $40,000 Katelyn Cai Arizona FIRST RUNNER-UP $20,000 Julianne Abenoja Alabama SECOND RUNNER-UP $15,000 Cynthia Lu Wisconsin THIRD RUNNER-UP $10,000 Isabel Xue Massachusetts FINALISTS $5,000 EACH Madison Manning CO Rosie Wang IL Avia Weber PA Amy Pham TN SCHOLASTICS • $1,000 EACH Katelyn Cai AZ McKenna Sun KY Mary Cotter NY Amy Hong ND Cynthia Lu WI INTERVIEW • $1,000 EACH Katelyn Cai AZ Mikayla Dayton DE Isabel Xue MA Erin Schuette NE Cynthia Lu WI TALENT • $1,000 EACH Julianne Abenoja AL Katelyn Cai AZ Ellie Ochiai HI Rosie Wang IL Cynthia Lu WI FITNESS • $1,000 EACH Julianne Abenoja AL Katelyn Cai AZ Madison Manning CO Avia Weber PA Amy Pham TN SELF-EXPRESSION • $1,000 EACH Katelyn Cai AZ Madison Manning CO Condoleezza Coleman CT Keerthana Ramanathan MN Isabel Hallows UT Joy Mitchell Grodnick SPIRIT AWARD • $2,000 Avia Weber PA TELL ME A STORY by Maureen Sullivan Collins • $2,500 Emily Lee CA Keerthana Ramanathan MN Chick-Fil-A BE YOUR BEST SELF AWARD in honor of Reggie & Betty Copeland • $1,000 EACH Elizabeth Taylor IN Ankita Talukdar TX COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD presented by the Hyman Family Foundation • $1,000 Mya Moffitt GA NATIONAL PANHELLENIC CONFERENCE/ NPC FOUNDATION AWARDS • $1,000 EACH Avia Weber PA Kaavya Raamkumar San Diego, CA Participant Dr. Richard B. Rogers SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP • $1,500 Mary Cotter NY Rebecca Houston Todd ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AWARD • $1,500 Rosie Wang IL Bork Family SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARDS • $500 EACH Rosie Wang IL Grace Kelso ME Press Register/AL.com DISTINGUISHED DIARY AWARD • $1,000 Katelyn Cai AZ DISTINGUISHED VLOGGER AWARD in honor of Roxann Dyess • $1,000 Isabella DiPietrantonio PA 2021 Amy Osmond Cook HAS BEEN AWARD • $2,000 Alison Reed CO 2021 Roxann Dyess HAS BEEN SPIRIT AWARD • $2,000 Ella Froedge SC 2021 DISTINGUISHED OUTREACH AWARD • $1,000 Adyson Schafer Almira/Coulee/Hartline, WA 14 BE HEALTHY Care for your physical and mental health BE INVOLVED Serve your community BE AMBITIOUS Set and achieve goals BE RESPONSIBLE Live by moral and ethical principles BE STUDIOUS Stay in school and be a lifelong learner Founded in 1987, the Be Your Best Self (BYBS) program is the official outreach program of Distinguished Young Women. In keeping with our mission, the program provides an opportunity for participants to beneficially impact the lives of children in their communities. The simple and practical message of the Be Your Best Self program is carried across the country through dynamic and engaging presentations created by Distinguished Young Women participants at all levels (local, state and national). The Be Your Best Self program seeks to encourage young people to lead successful and productive lives. Participants delivering the BYBS message use their personal experiences and unique talents to create presentations that inspire leaders for the future. Be Healthy, Be Involved, Be Studious, Be Ambitious and Be Responsible are the five elements that help define what it means to Be Your Best Self. This year, Distinguished Young Women celebrated its thirteenth annual National Be Your Best Self Week, a nationwide event that took place April 18-22. During the week, Distinguished Young Women participants across the country visited with groups of children in their communities and via video conference to share the Be Your Best Self message. As a result, thousands of young people learned what it means to be their best selves and how they can work toward a bright and productive future. Distinguished Young Women is proud to offer a special scholarship award in conjunction with the Be Your Best Self program, the Distinguished Outreach Award. Any young woman who participated in a 2022 Distinguished Young Women program at the local or state level (excludes state winners) and participated in National Be Your Best Self Week was eligible to compete for the award. This year’s Distinguished Outreach Award recipient is Adyson Schafer, Distinguished Young Woman of Almira/Coulee/Hartline, WA for 2022. The Be Your Best Self Scholarship Selection Committee consists of Tifara Brown, Emily Lloyd Herman, Bliss McMichael, Kami Brumley, and Tobi Collins. Bring BYBS to your community! Want a BYBS presentation at your organization or school? Contact Lisa@ DistinguishedYW.org to find the program closest to you. TOP TO BOTTOM: Kristen Logan, the 1988 National Representative, gives a Be Your Best Self presentation at Junior Achievement; 2022 Distinguished Outreach Award recipient, Adyson Schafer. Be Your Best Self 15 1977 | ARKANSAS Christy Moller Wojohn University of Georgia graduate; teaches 1st grade; lives in Zachary, LA; five children 1967 | ARKANSAS Rosemary Dunaway Trible Univ. of TX graduate; works with students at Christopher Newport University; author of book Fear to Freedom & created nonprofit called Fear 2 Freedom; two children & two grandchildren 1976 | WASHINGTON Lenne Jo Hallgren Whitworth College graduate; public speaker, author, and active in public affairs; contributor to Full Bloom ; resides in Eagle, ID with husband J.E. Givens; three children and three grandchildren 1968 | OKLAHOMA Debi Faubion Attorri Stephens College graduate; former evening news anchor at WSOC-TV; Broadcast and promotion spokesperson at her company Debi Presents LLC; lives with her husband in Charlotte, NC 1969 CALIFORNIA Jackie Bennington Weiss Masters in Education/Physical Education from Stanford University; High School dance instructor & Dir. of International Baccalaureate Dance Certificate Program; two daughters 1970 | ARIZONA Karen Stenwall Wiseman Studied at Texas Christian University and Kansas State; Masters in psychology; Senior VP Marketing for global real estate company; three daughters and four grandchildren 1971 | NEW JERSEY Arlene Stens Thompson Master’s degree from Trenton State College; lives in Moorestown, NJ; five children 1972 | KENTUCKY Lydia Hodson Copeland George Washington University graduate; worked in television; one son; died in 1991 1973 | KANSAS Linda Rutledge Delbridge Ph.D. in computer science from George Washington University; Director, Automation Business Development for Information Services Group; resides in Lake Tahoe, NV with husband Dave, rescue husky, Kane, and cat, Boris. 1974 | WYOMING Karen Morris Gowdy Attended the University of Wyoming, New York University, and Stella Adler’s; played the role of Faith Coleridge on the Emmy-winning Ryan’s Hope ; three daughters 1975 | ARKANSAS Julie Forshee Thurber Spring Hill College graduate; lives in Miami Beach, FL and Park City, UT with her husband; two sons 1958 | WEST VIRGINIA Phyllis A. Whitenack University of Central Florida Graduate; registered nurse; lived in Scottsdale, AZ; two daughters and two grandchildren; died in 2011 1959 | PENNSYLVANIA Judi Humphrey Peckonis Studied for a career in nursing; one son; died in 1968 1960 | CONNECTICUT Maureen Sullivan Collins Southern Connecticut State University graduate; BS degree in special education; lives on Fisher Island, FL and CT with husband of 54 years, George; three sons and ten grandchildren 1961 | MISSOURI Mary Frann Luecke Attended Northwestern University; founded the America’s Junior Miss Council in 1995; had an extensive career in acting; died in 1998 1962 | RHODE ISLAND Jean Leslie Allen George Washington University graduate; attended Georgetown Law School; lives in Providence, RI; one son; died in 2018 1963 | KENTUCKY Diane Sawyer Wellesley College graduate; lives in New York City; former co-host of ABC’s Good Morning America ; current anchor of ABC’s World News and principal anchor; wife of the late Mike Nichols 1964 | WASHINGTON Linda Felber Master’s degree from University of Illinois; coordinator of student services for school district; one daughter; lives in Salem, OR 1965 | MICHIGAN Patrice Gaunder Heeran Graduate of Marygrove College (Detroit); lives in Washoe Valley, NV, with husband of 46 years, John; two sons and one daughter 1966 | WISCONSIN Diane Wilkins Studied at Marymont and the University of Massachusetts; worked in import business in California; died in 2005 1978 | MISSOURI Kim Crosby Westenberg Feature soloist with symphonies around the U.S.; starred in Guys and Dolls and Into the Woods on Broadway; lives in Springfield, MO with husband; two daughters and one son 1979 | PENNSYLVANIA Susan Horvath McCready Studied at Troy University; worked in radio; currently living in Virginia with her husband, a retired Air Force Colonel 1980 | GEORGIA Julie Bryan Moran Graduate of UGA; first female anchor of ABC’s Wide World of Sports ; host of Entertainment Tonight for 10 years; host of LIFETIME’S The Balancing Act ; two daughters 1981 | NORTH CAROLINA Kim Smith Yandow Career as a dancer/choreographer & director; taught dance at BYU for 11 years; directed her own women’s performing company for 7 years; authored SimpleSpaces ; ten children 1982 | MISSISSIPPI Susan Hammett Wilmore Master’s degree from Louisiana State University in communication disorders; senior sales representative with Takeda Pharmaceuticals; lives in Alexandria, LA with two sons 1983 | ALABAMA Stephanie Ashmore Pitts University of Mississippi Nursing School grad; Pediatric Oncology, Pre-Op and Recovery Room Nursing; lives in Fairhope, AL with four children 1984 | MINNESOTA Amber Kvanli Ward M.B.A. from Kellogg at Northwestern University; lives in New York City with husband and two children 1985 | TEXAS Valerie Lowrance Tyler University of Texas - Ph.D. in jurispendence; former prosecutor; working as a lecturer in trial advocacy at the University of Texas Law School; four children 1986 | VIRGINIA Lori Jo Smith Carbonneau Graduate of Princeton; Harvard MBA; lives in Virginia following years in China; Director of Membership for the McLean Project for the Arts; married with two sons and one daughter 1987 | WISCONSIN Chuti Tiu Northwestern University; actor, writer, & producer; wrote, produced & starred in feature film Pretty Rosebud ; serves on Tallgrass Film Festival Filmmaker Advisory Board National Representatives 1958-2021 1999 | GEORGIA Sarah Jane Everman Shanks Graduate of the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music; most recently appeared on Broadway in Cats ; lives with her husband and son in New York, NY 1988 | MISSISSIPPI Kristen Logan Sepesi Attended Baylor University; former marketing consultant and Colorado state chairman; lives in Athens, GA with two children 2010 | IDAHO Madison Leonard Pepperdine grad with a Masters of Music degree in Voice and Opera; currently singing opera professionally; Lives in Switzerland with her husband 16 1998 | PENNSYLVANIA Susan Davidson Sankova Harvard and Georgetown School of Medicine; Johns Hopkins Hospital pediatric residency; currently an assistant professor of anesthesiology at University of Maryland Medical School 2000 | UTAH Jesika Henderson Harmon Honors graduate from Brigham Young University; BA in English and minor in dance; currently resides in Alpine, UT, with five children 2001 | ALABAMA Carrie Colvin Alling Vanderbilt University grad with a degree in economics; digital media and video production consultant; lives in Los Angeles with two daughters 2002 | OREGON Amy Kerr McVey Graduated cum laude from Willamette University; owns and operates fine art wedding and portrait photography studio with husband; lives in Salem, OR 2003 | CALIFORNIA Andrea Finch Williams Graduated from Brigham Young University with major in music/dance/theater; teaches voice and piano lessons; resides in Gainesville, FL with three children 2004 | TEXAS Shannon Essenpreis Fortenberry University of Mississippi; Communications Manager for agricultural input supplier GreenPoint AG; three children 2005 | MISSISSIPPI Kelli Schutz Croyle Belhaven University; motivational and guest speaker; spiritual development director at Westbrook Christian School; fitness coordinator at Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance; two sons 2006 | KENTUCKY Taylor Phillips Stanford undergrad & PhD; currently Assistant Professor of Management & Organizations at New York University (Stern School of Business) 2007 | MINNESOTA Nora Ali Graduate of Harvard University with BA in statistics and quantitative finance; anchor at business and technology news network, Cheddar; living in New York City 1989 | MISSOURI Kristin Huxhold Provisero University of Illinois graduate; master’s degree from Webster University; Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar; Broadway singer and actress living in New York; two daughters 1990 ILLINOIS Sara Martin Rosheger Northwestern University graduate; master’s degree from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England; 1995 British Marshall Scholar; kindergarten teacher; two children 1991 CALIFORNIA Amy Elizabeth Goodman UCLA; Master’s from Columbia; journalist & style expert; contributor NBC’s TODAY Show, The Rachael Ray Show , Live with Kelly & Ryan, The View , The Talk ; author of Wear This, Toss That ; two children 1992 | CALIFORNIA Tiffany Stoker Madsen BYU then Juris Doctorate from Hastings College of the Law; Clovis Unified School Board Trustee; certified teacher of Let’s Play Music and Sound Beginnings; three sons a